Tango with a Temptress
by Fallenangel26
Summary: 4 years after the Bebop, Faye is working at a ritzy brothel on Mars. What will she do when she wakes up one morning to find that last night's customer was Spike? *adult subject matter, but you can handle it*
1. PMS

A/N: Well! Whaddaya know! I've started another story! I'm actually hoping to finish this one, but knowing how I am, don't hold your breath.

Disclaimer: Roses are red, Violets are blue, me no own, so you no sue!

This story takes place four years after the end of the CB series. Now, as long as you review, I'll be happy! ^.^ But flame at your own risk… heh-heh-heh…

_A tall man paced slowly along a street somewhere on Mars. One of his hands was anchored permanently in his pocket, and the other dangled loosely at his side. A cigarette dangled from his lips, a tiny, glowing, pinprick._

As he meandered down the empty street, a single drop of rain dropped onto the dull concrete in front of him.

Spike Spiegel tilted his head up, regarding the ominous gray clouds above him with a thoughtful expression. 

"Is today one of your pissy days?" he asked the sky.

As if in answer, a torrent of rain dumped on him, drenching him instantly. Spike watched his cigarette fizzle out. "Someone's PMSing…" he muttered.

Cursing under his breath, he closed his eyes and brushed his sopping hair out of his face. "I need a vacation…" he muttered. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out his money card, and regarded it solemnly. After a minute of contemplation, he tossed the card upwards, caught it between two fingers, kissed it, and dropped it back into his pocket. "I'm outta here!" Whistling, he turned on his heel and strode off.

Standing outside of a very ritzy building, Spike to one last look at the night sky. It was 11 o'clock pm, and he grinned. "Time for Spike's fun." He patted the pocket with his money card in it, and walked through the double glass doors.

He was in an expensive looking lobby. Tropical plants in fancy ceramic pots accompanied plush couches, small tables, and warm lights. At one end of the room, a cute receptionist sat behind a mahogany desk.

Spike approached her slowly, taking time to absorb the room. She looked up, meeting his eyes, and smiling prettily. She was medium height, with long chocolate brown hair pulled to the side and braided. Her blue eyes sparkled, and she tapped her lips with one painted fingernail. "Hello! Welcome to The Valencia. Would you like a room tonight?" she asked, and Spike nodded, smiling, for her happy nature was contagious. 

She was wearing a dark red business suit, the skirt extra tight, and the jacket buttoned just enough to cover her. A shiny nametag pinned over her heart read, "Kate Monterossa: Receptionist, The Valencia". 

She giggled and leaned forward, rifling around on the desk, and giving Spike quite the view down her jacket. "That will be 500,000 woolongs, sir."

Kate accepted his money card, and chatted happily as she withdrew the amount. "I expect you'll want one of the girls, right? I don't know who's free right now. I'm so bad with remembering things! Just let me check the schedule here… Hmmm. Looks like Ruby's free. You'll like her! She's such a great girl! Yes… sign here and here… Wow! You're eyes are different colors! That's really neat! I wish I had different colored eyes… Oh dear, I've been babbling again, haven't I? The girls always tell me to slow down and let other people get a word in edgewise! Oh dear, you must think I'm dreadfully silly…" she blushed prettily, and looked down.

Spike smiled inwardly. "No, not at all. I'm used to living on my own, so some feminine conversation is nice."

Kate blushed even more, this time with pleasure. "Oh! Aren't you a gentleman! Much better from the clients who usually come here…" she grew silent, staring grimly at her hands.

Spike was just about to ask her what she meant by that, when she jumped up, all pep and smiles again. 

"Just listen to me! You come here to relax and have a good time, and here I am, griping about the little problems in life! I'm so silly! Here, let me take you to your room…" She pressed a button on the desk and said something into a microphone that Spike couldn't hear, before leading him off down the hall. "The Valencia is the wealthiest brothel this side of Tharsis. We have 100 rooms, and 50 girls working total, so you can have exactly what you're looking for. We've-Oh!" she had dropped a stack of papers, and they fluttered all over the floor. "Oh dear. I'm so clumsy! Just let me pick these up again…" she bent over and began to gather the papers, chattering all the while. "…And when Mr. Ricardo came, I tripped on the stairs and sprained my ankle, and I was off my feet for two weeks! Can you believe that?" 

Spike nodded and muttered something, battling surprise at the nice view of her rear and shapely legs. He jerked to himself, as she stood up, the papers safe once more. "Alright, now where were we?" She glanced at the paper on the top of the stack. "Oh yes! I was taking you to Ruby's room…" she continued on down the hall.

She stopped at a door on the left side of the hall, bare except for a plate with the numbers '17' engraved on it. She produced a door key from somewhere in her jacket, and unlocked the door. "Alright, there you go, sir. Have a nice night!" With that, she disappeared down the hall.

Spike pushed the door open, and walked inside, shutting the door firmly behind him. He looked around the room. No lights were on, but the moonlight from the large windows on one wall illuminated the room quite well. A large bed covered with only sheets occupied a large portion of the room. A dresser was pushed against one wall; the door next to it was open. The main room was empty, but Spike could hear running water coming from the open door. Curious, he looked into the room beyond, and his jaw dropped. 

A woman was in the shower, safely washing behind a curtain. But a shaft of moonlight from the skylight above her allowed Spike to see her shadowed form against the curtain. 

She was medium height and slender, with curves enough to make him drool. Her hair looked to be about shoulder length, but it was hard to tell, because she was washing it. The water ran over her, and she posed unconsciously, arching her back and letting the water run over her chest. She ran her hands from her neck to her ankles, then reached up and turned the water off.

Spike walked back over to the bed and sat down, tossing his jacket over a chair, and kicking off his boots.

The lady was standing in the doorway when he looked back up. She had wrapped a towel around her body, but it still left very little to the imagination. Her face was obscured by the darkness of the room, but he could see that she _did_ have shoulder length hair, and her body was Spike's every fantasy. 

As if sensing his thoughts, she sauntered over, her hips swaying ever so slightly. She walked right up to him, until there were only a few inches of space between her chest and his nose. She reached out and cupped his chin in one hand, and her skin was pale and smooth, but Spike felt the slight rub of a thin line of calluses along her palm. She tilted his head up and caressed his face lightly. Suddenly, she stopped. "You remind me of someone…" her voice was low and silky, and it hummed around him, tugging at his mind. He opened his mouth, but she placed one soft finger on his lips. "Let's not think about this until morning." Spike nodded, and she climbed onto the bed, straddling his legs. 

The towel settled softly onto the ground in a puddle of moonlight.

A/N: Well? Like it? Let me know if I should continue writing…


	2. Empty Room

A/N: Well! Sorry that took so long! I've got the 2nd chapter here! Wheehooo!!!

DISCLAIMER: The only thing I own in this story so far is the plot. Please don't steal it… Kelly, Nanya, and Kate are all owned by their respective creator type authorish people. Spike and Faye are owned by… Uh, the people who created them. ^.^

Thanks to my great reviewers!

NESSACUSGIRL

RED-TENKO

KYRA

BLUE TEARS

131180809SOUJIRO SETA14161219

ANIISTON

LADY OF LIGHT

THE ARMANI NINJA

LADY RAZORSHARP

KIT

INUGURL

You guys are great! Well, here's the next chappy!!!!

In a tall building somewhere on Mars, a couple lay sleeping on a large bed. The woman was tucked against the man, his arms around her, and her head nestled under his chin. They were sprawled haphazardly over the bed, the sheets twisted around their bodies. A shaft of sunlight fell in through the window.

Faye slowly opened her eyes, trying to hold onto the last remnants of sleep. No such luck. With a sigh, she began to sit up, but found herself strangely restrained.

Looking down, she realized that a large arm was wrapped tightly around her waist, preventing her from getting up. 

Grumbling quietly, she gently began to pry it off her waist. A long scar on the underside of the arm captured her eyes, and stopped her heart.

I know that scar! I know this arm… Scarcely breathing, she looked up at the face of the man who was holding her.

"Ohmygod…" she whispered. "Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!" Spike Spiegel lay sleeping next to her. He looked so peaceful lying there, so alone and innocent. As if by its own volition, her hand drifted upwards to trace his jaw line.

Spike felt something soft gliding slowly down his face. Curious, he slowly opened his eyes, immediately focusing on the two emerald eyes that regarded him sadly. 

Confused, he blinked twice, before he could grasp the situation. A woman with dark purple hair and green eyes was looking up at him, and he noticed that he had his arms around her, and neither one of them was wearing anything. Closer inspection revealed a face he recognized. "Faye?"

"Spike?" she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. 

He nodded and pressed his hand to her cheek, a small smile drifting across his face. She covered his hand with hers, closing her eyes as hot tears spilled through her lashes. "What happened?" she whispered. "Why didn't you come back? I-I thought you were dead…" she swallowed, trying to control her voice.

He shook his head. "No. I'm not dead. I'm still hanging on."

"Damn it…" she said in a tiny voice, so unlike her old self.

That got a laugh out of Spike. He wiped away Faye's tears with the corner of the sheet, watching her intently. 

But the sheet brought them back to the present. Spike suddenly realized that Faye had been the woman last night, and he blushed furiously.

Faye looked confused for a moment, but then realization dawned on her like a dark cloud over the sun. She pulled the sheet up to cover herself, her blush rivaling Spike's own. 

Uncomfortable, he located his pants, and pulled them swiftly on, turning away from her.  He felt her weight lift off the bed, and he waited for her to grab her towel. "I'm sorry I didn't come back sooner. I wasn't sure you guys would want me back. I mean, I've been a jerk to all of you guys, except maybe Ed, and she left. And I was especially horrible to you. I knew you needed me, especially with getting your memory back and everything. You needed me to stay, and help you cope with it. But I just had to do this, you know? So I left. I was sure you'd be really pissed at me, and I like my face too much to let you smash it. I guess I made a mistake, but that's all over now, you know? Now we can go back to the Bebop, and find Ed and Ein, and it'll be just like old times, right?" 

Faye didn't reply. 

"Right?" he asked, turning back to her.

The room was empty.

Faye raced through the halls of the Valencia, tears streaming down her face. Her towel was clasped loosely around her, the only memory of that night. I'll burn it! I'll forget everything! There's nothing to remember! Nothing! Why can't my amnesia make me forget stuff like that?!?! 

Panting, she stopped running and pressed her face against the cool metal of the wall. She had to blink a few times before she could focus enough to make out the secret panel. It opened to reveal an elevator that would take her to the girl's rooms. This was to prevent customers from 'accidentally' stumbling in on their real rooms. 

Faye threw herself inside, and frantically pressed the 'Up' button. The rumbling elevator brought back even more memories of an old brown fishing ship, and a new torrent of tears poured down her face.

When the elevator doors dinged open, she was off like a shot, fleeing to the sanctuary of her room. She didn't even notice the two women who jumped out of her way to avoid being run down. They watched Faye disappear into her room with worried eyes.

Faye threw herself onto her bed, and buried her face in her pillow like she had as a little girl. Shoulders shaking with the force of her sobs, she poured out all her emotion on the unfortunate cushion. 

A cool hand settled itself on the nape of her neck, jerking Faye out of her misery. Choking back her sobs, she sat up.

A tall woman with a black bob sat next to her on the bed, and a shorter woman with the same haircut only in cotton candy pink held out a tissue.

Sniffling, Faye blinked at them. "Nanya? Kelly?"

They smiled at her. "We hoid ya cryin' goily." The taller one stated, a thick New Brooklyn accent coloring her words. 

"Do you wanna talk about it?" asked the pink-haired one, handing the tissue to the other woman.

Faye shook her head, allowing Nanya to wipe her eyes, and Kelly to rescue the pillow from Faye's grasp.

"Was it one a da custamers?" asked Nanya, cracking her knuckles. Kelly put a hand on the taller woman's arm and quelled her with her eyes, which were a light purple.

Tears welled up in Faye's eyes. "Kinda… It was… a guy I knew… a long time ago…" she wiped her eyes furiously, and sniffed. "He… just brought back some… painful memories…"

Kelly patted Faye's shoulder comfortingly. "We understand, honey. But just think, would you rather have forgotten?"

"Yes! No! Oh…I don't know… I don't know anymore…" Faye's voice began to tremble again, and she sniffed harder.

Nanya put an arm around Faye's shoulders. "Painful memories ain't pleasant, but dey make ya strongah. And dat's impoitant."

Faye nodded, wiping the last traces of mascara from her face. "Alright. I'm okay now… Thanks." She briefly hugged them both, then shooed them from her room.

After closing the door behind them, she dropped her towel in the laundry chute.  Throwing open her closet, she rifled through her clothes impatiently. She pulled out a gray undershirt, a large pair of gray sweat pants, and a bottle of whiskey.

Faye sat on the roof of the Valencia, her knees drawn up, and the bottle clasped tightly in her left hand. She stared blankly at the sky, her face stony. 

"Damn lunkhead…" she muttered.


	3. Why Dingy Diner's Suck

A/N: Heya everybody!! Sorry I took so long to update…. I'm currently battling with a severe case of Writer's Block, and it has taken me 2 months to just write up this much!!! Anyways, a bunch of people thought that Chapter 2 was the end of the story. Hah, no such luck! 

A HUUUUUUUUUUGE SHOUT OUT TO MY AWESOME REVIEWERS, I LOVE YOU MUCH!!!!!!!!

Now. On to Chapter 3 (This is not the end either…) Enjoy, and REVIEW!!!!!!

Faye winced, as bright sunlight seared her eyelids, jerking her awake. "Dammit…" she muttered, shading her eyes with one hand. She sat up and looked around her. 

She was sitting on the roof of the Valencia, and it looked to be a little after noon, from the position of the way too bright sun.

_Why am I…Oh yeah. Spike._ She frowned and looked at the empty whiskey bottle cradled in her hands. _I really should stop drinking too much, every time something makes me remember…_

With a sigh, she slowly pulled herself to her feet, moaning slightly. "No one every says, that even with doctors, your body adds up all your breaks and bruises, and gives you the bill when you least expect it…"

There was a sudden rush of air, and Faye looked up, to see a familiar red ship rocket past. The Swordfish II seemed to slow as it flew past, until she felt as if the moment was frozen in time. Defying all logic, she could see into the cockpit, as clear as if it had been sitting still. Spike was inside, and Faye could make out every last detail, despite the distance between them. _He looks…older._ She thought, shocked. Her eyes found the crows feet at the corners of his eyes, and deepening frown lines that etched tiny canyons around his mouth. He still wore that old blue suit that he had worn almost every day she had known him, though it was beginning to look worse for the wear. Suddenly, inexplicably, he turned his head, as if he felt her eyes on him. Their gazes locked, and Faye felt something jump between them, and an almost electrical shock shivered over her body. Feeling embarrassed to be caught looking, Faye jerked her gaze away, and time sped up. Soon the Swordfish was gone, disappearing into the metropolitan sunset.

Later, Faye sat on her bed, applying a hairdryer to her freshly washed hair. She had taken a long, hot shower, wishing she could scrub away the memories of last night, to watch them swirl down the drain. _I guess Lady Luck has used up all her good fortune…_

There was a knock on her door, jerking her from her reverie. 

Nanya stuck her head in the room. "Faye, deah's some guy heah ta see you'se…"

Puzzled, Faye raised an eyebrow. "The Valencia doesn't open until 6 pm. It's only 1:30."

Nanya shook her head. "It ain't a custamah. He says he used ta know you'se, a long time ago. 'Said 'is name was Gaujo…" She trailed off as Faye paled. "Is somethin' wrong? Was dat da guy dat was messin' wit' you'se last night?"

"Yes. I mean no! I mean…. Oh, I don't know what I mean! It wasn't really his fault… But I don't want to see him. Tell Sp-_that man_, that I'm still sleeping or something…"

Nanya looked like she was going to protest, but she caught the look on Faye's face and closed her mouth. "Awright," she sighed, and closed the door.

Faye lay back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. _Why does he have to come back now? It's been four years… Why now?_

There was a soft click as the door opened again. "He says he knows you'se bettah den dat, so you'se bettah git yer sawry arse out deah, befoah he comes in heah and drags you out hisself." Nanya's approving grin told more than her words. "An' he looks like he could carry out dat threat, so you'se should probably hurry…"

Spike stared absently at the newspaper in his hands, not really noticing what was on it. 

"Mister Spiegel, sir?" Kate, the chipper receptionist peered at him over the top of his paper. "Um… You're newspaper's upside down…"

Spike's eyes flicked to the black print, which was indeed upside down. "Oh…uh right." _Real cool, Spike. Real cool._

Kate smiled. "I just wanted to ask you if you'll be wanting a room tonight…"

He shook his head. "Nah, I don't think so."

She nodded, still grinning. "Alright, sir. Have a good day then!" she turned and walked back to her desk, and Spike couldn't help watching her butt sway as she walked. He shook his head. _Gah. Geez Spike, you'll go after anything with boobs, won't you? That's so sick…_ His self-deprecating sigh was cut off as the door clicked open.

Faye stepped into the room wearing a black tank top patterned with large white flowers, a jean miniskirt with a flounced ruffle along the bottom, black flip flops, and a scowl fierce enough to rattle stronger characters than Spike. 

But it would take more than a scowl to scare of Spike Spiegel. 

He just smiled wanly. "Hey."

Faye didn't reply. Her only response was the slow lift of her right eyebrow.

He sighed. "Come on Romani. Don't be like this…"

She pursed her lips. "Want do you want with me?"

Spike rose from the chair. "I want you to come with me to lunch."

Faye actually cracked a smile, though not a kind one. "You want _me_ to have lunch with _you_?"

He raised both eyebrows. "That's what I said, isn't it?"

She suddenly became extremely hostile. "What's your beef, Spike?! You leave us, to go bring some sort of twisted revenge on a homicidal maniac who killed you illicit mistress, everyone assumes you're dead, then you show up FOUR YEARS LATER at a _brothel_, deceive me into sleeping with you, then want me to go to lunch with you?! ARE YOU NUTS?!?! I was just getting my life back in order, and I DO NOT need you coming back in here and tearing it all down around my ears!" By now, Faye's voice was loud enough to alert the entire brothel staff. "We _cared_ about you, Jet and I! And you just dropped us like old garbage. Is that what we are to you, Spike? Just some luggage you picked up somewhere along the line?"

"NO!" Spike's shout interrupted her. "I wasn't gone for this long by choice!" his angry voice shocked Faye into silence. "I was being-"

At that moment, the door crashed open, and Nanya and Kelly spilled into the room. Nanya picked herself up off the floor, and glared at Kelly. "Smooth move, genius. Now everyone knows we were eavsdro-" she looked up at the shocked room. "Eheh… Um, we'll just be leaving now…" Both women shuffled quickly out of the room, blushing guiltily.

Spike cleared his throat. "Well, I guess I'll just explain over lunch…"

Faye shook her head, refusing to meet his eyes, though she didn't seem as against the idea as before. "I uh, I have to work…"

Kate piped up from behind her desk, "Um, actually, the Valencia doesn't open until 6pm, and the girls don't have to be here until 5, so you have time for lunch."

Faye glared. "Well, I-I have to um, I have to clean my work room today, and I won't have time to clean it if I go out…"

"We'll clean it!" Nanya piped from the doorway, her earlier embarrassment apparently forgotten. "Kelly and I have to clean our work rooms too, so one more room won't make a difference!"

Faye looked increasingly desperate. "But, um… Kate! You said you wanted to go over some records with me, didn't you?!" she said, staring meaningfully at the receptionist.

Kate looked confused. "Um… I don't remember doing that, but you know me! I always forget everything! I must have done it-"

"Miss Monterossa," Spike interrupted. "Could she look over the records when she gets back?"

Kate nodded, smiling. "Sure! Have a nice lunch!"

Faye glared at Spike. "Fine. But you are _so_ footing the bill!"

Spike quickly regretted taking Faye out.

He had taken her to a small and dingy diner, where a middle-aged waitress wearing enough makeup to wipe out the Maybelline counter at the supermarket, asked in a hoarse voice what they wanted. 

Spike winced as her horrible breath reached his nose, but managed to gasp out, "One… B…L…T… sandwich… andalargecoke!" he finished in a rush.

The waitress nodded, and scribbled something on her order pad before turning to Faye. "And whaddaya want, lady?" she asked hoarsely, scratching absently at her leg with hideously fake nails.

Faye wrinkled her nose. "I'll have a Chef Salad and some coffee. Black." She paused, and looked at Spike. "On second thought," she amended, voice sickly sweet, "I'd like a cheeseburger, a large side of coleslaw, a baked potato, a large onion rings, a piece of apple pie, and a large rootbeer." She threw a triumphant glare at Spike, which plainly said, 'You may have gotten me to come out with you, but I'm not going to make this pleasant or easy'.

Spike simply smirked arrogantly, and leaned back. "I hope you're hungry…" he said.

Faye glared, angry when he didn't react to her barb. "Alright. What do you want?!" she asked him, plainly fed up with trying to feign nonchalance.

His smirk dropped from his face. "I wanted to explain why I didn't come back to the Bebop."

Faye flipped her hair and leaned back, wrapping an air of boredom around her like a cloak. "What makes you think I want to hear it? What makes you think I care?! Spike's been gone for four years, and now he's back. Whoop de doo." She said, voice laced with sarcasm. She wouldn't look at him either, apparently too interested by the peeling wallpaper next to her to even bother meeting his eyes.

Spike grinned, as he saw through her charade. "You seemed very interested back at the Valencia…"

Her head whipped up, and she glared venomously at him, but her mask was down. Spike had seen her eyes, and that was all he needed to read her like an open book.

_I guess it's a skill you pick up when you've been a bounty hunter for as long as I have…_ he mused. _All you need is a glimpse, and you can tell exactly what that person is thinking._

That skill certainly came in handy now, as he analyzed all the emotions flitting around in her emerald orbs. _Anger, remorse…pain? Fear? Sorrow?_ Puzzled, he shook his head. "Faye, I know I made a mistake-" he was cut off by her derisive snort. "Okay, lots of mistakes. But you have to believe that it was for the best!"

Faye actually laughed then, but it was a humorless, hollow sound. "Don't play games, Spike. Neither of us are children, naïve and gullible. There's no need to make empty excuses."

Spike made a sound of protest, but Faye overrode him. "I don't care if you spent the last four years creeping all over the Sol System. I don't care if you lived the wild life, gambling, drinking, having sex with every woman under 40! I mean, look what _I've_ been doing! I just wish you respected me enough to at least call, or write, or let me know that you're alive! And if it was even too much hassle to do that, you could at least have the decency to not LIE about it!"

Spike glared right back at her. "I wasn't _lying_! I couldn't come back to the Bebop because I was being hunted by Syndicate goons! I thought if I came back, I'd drag you and Jet into it!"

Faye blinked at him. "Jet and I could have handled it. We could've _helped_ you! And what, I'm supposed to believe you couldn't wrangle some time in a bathroom or in your ship, or a few minutes for a quick phone call, or v-mail, or even a letter, to let us know that you were alive?! I appreciate you're concern, but I'm not a baby, Spike. I'm 77 years old for chrissakes!" (everyone in the diner was staring at them now) Faye didn't notice. "I mean, if the entire world thinks you're dead, couldn't you at least have the respect to let your friends know that you're okay?! So that they don't have to grieve constantly? Or visit your EMPTY grave? Or mention you in their prayers? Or remember all the good times we had? Or wish that things had turned out differently between us? Or see you in every man I meet? Or sleep in your old shirts just so I can breathe the traces of your smell still clinging to the fabric?!" Faye's voice had risen constantly in decibels, and she finally seemed to notice what she had been saying. "Fuck you, Spike! Just… I just… you…I…Fuck you!" She whirled and ran from the diner, her flip-flops slapping sharply on the ground. As soon as the door slammed shut behind her, Spike could see her silently burst into tears, until she disappeared around a corner.

He sank back onto the red plether of the booth, smacking himself on the forehead. "Well, that went well…" he muttered, unaware that the entire diner was staring at him.

"I hope you can pay for this…" the dumpy waitress set a multitude of plates in front of him, evidence of Faye's anger. She popped her bubblegum noisily, and quirked an eyebrow. "Honey, you've got some learnin' ta do…" 

Spike covered his face with his hand. "Shit…"


End file.
